- Amuse Bouche
- Appetizer
- Entree
- Dessert
Since both Torey and Jim prepared all four courses, we actually ate eight courses! We never knew who had prepared which dish. At each place setting was a scorecard, which we used to rate each dish on:
- presentation
- taste
- execution
- "wow" factor
It was a magical night that everyone decided needed to happen again.
So, the new tradition continued in June of 2013. This time it was Tim and I competing against our friends, Ian and Katie. We had the challenge of competing in Torey and Jim's house - so we had to schlep all of our food and plating items to their house where we assembled before serving. An added challenge was that their building's gas lines were not working - so we had to work without a stove or an oven. We made do with a microwave and an electric skillet.
I spent several weeks leading up to the competition scouring websites and magazines for recipes that could be made ahead of time and would impressive when assembled. We did do a test run of a few of the recipes:
- scallops - dry scallops are worth the extra price over wet scallops
- cachapas - we had to figure out how to make it look fancy when serving it
- strawberry ice cream - surprisingly tricky to make
- almond cake - thankfully we did test this out because our first recipe turned out more like an almond brownie instead of an almond cake
We also took a trip to Crate and Barrel to purchase some cute plating items to make our presentation a bit more impressive!
We tried to take pictures, but in the rush of everything we missed photographing one or two courses.
AMUSE BOUCHE:
Summer Berry Salad in a Parmesan Cup
Assorted berries are tossed with basil and arugula in a parmesan cup accompanied by a mixed-berry gastrique.
Minted Watermelon Salad with Honey Yogurt Sauce
Watermelon and other seasonal fruits are macerated with lime and mint and paired with a creamy, tangy sauce.
APPETIZER:
Seared Scallops with Pea Puree
Seared scallops are served on a sweet pea puree and sprinkled with a gremolata of parsley, lemon zest, and shallots. Crispy pancetta adds a slight crunch to each bite.
Goat Cheese Crostini
Toasted bread is topped with rich goat cheese, prosciutto, asparagus, or peach, a drizzle of honey, and a dusting of black pepper.
ENTREE:
Venezuelan sweet corn cakes are served with chicken in adobo sauce and topped with queso fresco. They are paired with two sauces of distinct Latin American origin: Chimichurri, a parsley-based Argentine sauce, and Aji Amarillo, a slightly spicy Peruvian sauce.
Beer-Braised Carnitas Tacos
Pulled pork tacos feature a chili-lime sauce, fresh mango-black bean salsa, and avocado wedges. Tacos are served with traditional arroz con tomate.
Dessert:
Almond Cake with Strawberry Ice Cream
A slice of almond cake is served with fresh strawberry ice cream and a reduction of balsamic vinegar is drizzled on the side.
Torta di Rocotta
A ricotta cheesecake is scented with citrus and amaretti and paired with fresh berries and a raspberry-citrus glaze.
In the end, it was just as fun to be in the kitchen as it was to be eating and judging. Ian and Katie were a great duo, but somehow, Tim and I were the winners of this Top Chef competition. I think we can look forward to a brunch version in the coming months :)